(19)
(11) EP 0 855 818 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
23.10.2002 Bulletin 2002/43

(43) Date of publication A2:
29.07.1998 Bulletin 1998/31

(21) Application number: 98101164.6

(22) Date of filing: 23.01.1998
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: H04L 12/433, H04L 29/12, H04L 12/56, H04L 12/64
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 24.01.1997 JP 1086497
16.04.1997 JP 9877997
25.09.1997 JP 25961297

(71) Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Kadoma-shi, Osaka-fu (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Mizuguchi, Yuji
    Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu (JP)
  • Sakai, Takahisa
    Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo-ken (JP)
  • Ikeda, Toshihisa
    Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu (JP)
  • Kurosaki, Toshihiko
    Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken (JP)
  • Moriguchi, Kenichi
    Neyagawa-shi, Osaka-fu (JP)
  • Oga, Toshio
    Neyagawa-shi, Osaka-fu (JP)

(74) Representative: Altenburg, Udo, Dipl.-Phys. et al
Patent- und Rechtsanwälte Bardehle . Pagenberg . Dost . Altenburg . Geissler . Isenbruck Galileiplatz 1
81679 München
81679 München (DE)

   


(54) Communication network


(57) A master station 11 produces a token packet for isochronous data in which a slave station 12 and slave stations 13 and 14 serving as a sending station and receiving stations are designated using IDs for isochronous data "#2" and "#3" in accordance with contents described in a table 161 held in its inner part so as to manage a transmission bandwidth using a token packet sending/analysis executing device 16, and sends out the produced token packet to a transmission path 15 on the downstream side. The slave station 12 sends out an isochronous data packet 42 using the token packet for isochronous data 41. According to the token packet for isochronous data 41, the slave stations 13 and 14 are designated as receiving stations using the ID for isochronous data "#3", so that the slave stations 13 and 14 perform the above-mentioned operations, to receive the isochronous data packet 42. The sending station can thus transmit the same isochronous data to a plurality of receiving stations belonging to a broadcast group, so that it is possible to establish multicast communication (communication to a plurality of nodes).






Search report